


Stars, Stripes, and Subtlety

by circ_bamboo



Series: Femslash Ask Box Prompts, Filled [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3443444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/circ_bamboo/pseuds/circ_bamboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From this prompt by reena_jenkins: Angie/Peggy WW2 AU, where Peggy is still with the SSR but Angie achieves her dream of stardom by way of being a USO Girl in Steve's show? And there's COMPETENCE KINK.</p><p>(I didn't hit the competence kink, alas.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stars, Stripes, and Subtlety

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/gifts).



> Angie refers to herself as "queer." If that's not gonna work for you, that's fine.

"Fancy meeting you here, Steve Rogers."

Angie Martinelli looked up; standing about a foot behind Steve Rogers was — oh, boy. Red lips, a smart military uniform, perfectly-curled brown hair … all that, plus the English accent and severe look on her face made Angie feel woefully underdressed in her between-the-acts pants, sweater, and jacket. She was dressed almost identically to Steve, who had turned around at the woman’s words. A moment later his face lit up like the Fourth of July — fitting, in that he’d confided that Independence Day was his birthday.

"Peggy!" he said, standing. "I mean, Agent Carter."

"Rogers," she said. "You look well. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Steve ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture Angie knew well: he made it every time he talked to a pretty, feisty brunette. (Angie herself didn’t count for whatever reason. She wasn’t sure if it was because her hair was too light, because she’d practically forced her friendship on the big puppy, or because she’d all but told him that she didn’t like boys like that. She didn’t suppose it mattered.) “Oh, uh, Agent Peggy Carter, this is my friend Angie. Angie Martinelli. She’s from New York, too, but not Brooklyn.”

"Queens," Angie said, standing as well and holding out a hand.

Agent Peggy Carter shook it with a nice firm grip, palm broader than Angie’s own. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Martinelli,” she said.

"Pleasure’s all mine," Angie said and, just because she could, she added a little more warmth than necessary to her smile.

To her surprise, Agent Carter _flushed_ , a delicate rose color tinting her cheeks. “Yes, well,” she said, clearly flustered and, for that matter, still holding Angie’s hand. “I presume you are with the USO as well?”

"Yep," Angie said. "Lifelong dream to be on stage, twelve years of dance and singing lessons, and now I get to sit on a motorcycle hoisted up by this one here." She gave Agent Carter’s hand an extra squeeze before dropping it to gesture at Steve, who looked a little gobsmacked. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her flirt with another woman, so … Oh, but maybe _he_ was interested in Agent Carter? She looked at him a little more carefully and yeah, he was blushing, too. Angie felt guilty for about half a second, but she’d honestly thought he was queer, too, the way he was hung up on his friend Bucky. Maybe he liked both men and women.

"Did you need something from me, Agent Carter?" Steve asked, into the brief silence.

"Colonel Philips would like to see you for a moment, Rogers," she said. "I am sorry to take away your companion, Miss Martinelli."

Angie honestly meant to say _It’s no problem_ , but somehow her tongue ran away from her and she found herself saying, “Well, I’ll forgive you if you keep me company instead.”

She managed to avoid wincing through sheer will power (and acting talent) and fully expected Agent Carter to make a polite excuse as to why she of course couldn’t stay to talk to a chorus girl, but to Angie’s surprise — and apparently Steve’s — Agent Carter turned to Steve and said, “You know the way to Colonel Phillips’s office, don’t you?” and waited for him to nod before sitting down across from Angie.

Steve stood stock-still for a moment before saying, “Ladies,” with a nod, and striding away.

"Well, Miss Martinelli," Agent Carter said, "how long have you been with the tour?"

"About as long as the Captain has," Angie said, using her chin to indicate Steve’s retreating form. "What do you do here?"

"I’m with the SSR — the Strategic Scientific Reserve," Agent Carter said, "and that’s all I can tell you, I’m afraid."

"That’s all you can tell me about your _job_ ,” Angie pointed out. “What can you tell me about you?”

Agent Carter smiled, a slow blooming of the expression, and Angie’s stomach clenched. Lord, but Agent Carter was beautiful, and Angie wanted to kiss her almost more than she’d wanted to be on a stage.

"I was born in London," Agent Carter said, "and I lived there until I joined the war effort. I’d barely even been out of the country before that."

"I hadn’t at all," Angie said cheerfully. "I’m here at least as much for the travel as the performing."

"I hope you’re enjoying Europe."

"Prettier than Queens," Angie said, "but the accommodations leave something to be desired."

"I haven’t seen Queens, I don’t think, but I saw a bit of Brooklyn. Steve — er, Rogers — ah, he gave me a tour."

"Did he now," Angie said. “‘Steve.’"

"Yes, well," Agent Carter said again.

"And he calls you ‘Peggy.’"

"Only the once."

"Are the two of you —" Angie gestured between Agent Carter and an imaginary Steve next to her.

"No, oh, no," Agent Carter said, maybe a little too quickly. "I mean, perhaps, if there wasn’t a war and he wasn’t …"

"A chorus boy?" Angie said with a raised eyebrow.

"That’s one way to put it," Agent Carter said. "Miss Martinelli—"

"Angie."

"Angie. Then I’m Peggy."

Angie grinned. “You were saying?”

Peggy inclined her head in acknowledgment and continued. “Steve is, more importantly than his current — occupation, a romantic, through and through. It’s obvious in every line of his body, every word he says, and the way he’s so willing to sacrifice himself for others — a romantic in the grand tradition, as well as the small.”

Here Peggy stopped for a moment and stared off in the distance, and Angie almost lost hope, but the other woman kept speaking.

"So if I were to take up with him, it would be flowers and dancing and promises of forever, and … well, it would be lovely, but it would take more effort than I’m willing to put in right now."

"Ah," Angie said and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Well, the USO tour is only here for another few days. If you’d like a refreshing _lack_ of romance, you know where to find me.”

Peggy’s eyes widened, just a bit, enough that Angie knew that her offer of somewhat more than conversation had been understood. She smiled again, red lips curving, and said, “Indeed I do, Angie. Indeed.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] Stars, Stripes, and Subtlety](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3841819) by [circ_bamboo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/circ_bamboo/pseuds/circ_bamboo), [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins)




End file.
